Rebus Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 (edited) After some leg work, my service adviser and I hope to have me towing by this weekend...over 6 months after this whole thing started. Sure am glad I actually like my DJ...helps to alleiate the pains with the towing setup issues. Edited March 13, 2012 by Rebus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armendegga Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Yeah, I am a bit surprised at the amount of issues there has been with trying to get the tow set up working for many users. I am glad that I elected to get the tow prep as it sounds like I would have had non stop issues with trying to get this to work otherwise. I believe I saw in the other thread that you finally have it working now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebus Posted March 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Yeah, I am a bit surprised at the amount of issues there has been with trying to get the tow set up working for many users. I am glad that I elected to get the tow prep as it sounds like I would have had non stop issues with trying to get this to work otherwise. I believe I saw in the other thread that you finally have it working now. Yep, finally got everything worked out. Took the utility trailer to the dump today...no problems whatsoever. I still firmly believe that if a vehicle manufacturer is going to publish tow ratings for a vehicle line, they need ot estacblish a protocol for the dealers to follow in order to set up a tow package for the owner. I think a majority of the issue was squarely on Corporate and the lack of information given to the dealers. With that said, I am glad to be done with that hassle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Sixspeedrt Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 I had a trailer retailer install a hitch and wiring package on my 2012 SXT a few weeks after I bought her in January. The wiring works fine so far - no issues - towed a few times with the Journey. I don't have the tow package either. I believe they simply installed one of those Modulites or equivalent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PastorBob Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 I had problems initially. I bought a 2012 Journey with the trailer prep package with the intent to tow a small trailer with it. The dealer I used farms out the hitch installation because it is too expensive in house. I had a Reese hitch installed at one of my customers with whom I work with. No power to the wiring and he used the Dodge pigtail that came with the kit. Took it back to the dealer and they blamed the hitch installer the hitch installer blamed the wiring pigtail, After some checking, the dealer found out that the computer needed to be activated. Took about 30 minutes and I left there with everything working. The sales department ate the $40 fee that the Repair Department wanted to charge me. My point is, why didn't someone tell me that if I have a hitch put on that i needed to come back to the dealer to get it activated. Seems to me if you sell a car with a trailer prep package it should be able to tow. I pull a 6x12 enclosed trailer and it towed nicely last weekend about 800 miles round trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caperinmuskoka Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) I am at the part now where I ordered the hitch,because it didn't come with one, went back to get it installed, now ready to tow and no power at the 4-pin plug..........Not very happy at all............I even had the tow prep package.Tow prep my a$$.........No hitch,No wiring, no power What is there to prep for?????.......Caper............ Edited March 25, 2012 by caperinmuskoka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Sixspeedrt Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I dunno, Caper. I didn't have the prep -sounds like a waste of money since my Journey has the oil cooler anyways. Trailer dealer hooked up the lights no problem. Maybe easier to just forget trying to install the factory wiring and just hook up a Modulite or similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windancer Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) Yeah, I am a bit surprised at the amount of issues there has been with trying to get the tow set up working for many users. I must admit I am sorry and somewhat surprised that the towing issue seems to be such an issue with many people. I am certainly not writing this to "rub it in" to everyone who has had difficulty installing a hitch, so please do not take it this way. I own a completely loaded 2010 R/T AWD Journey that I bought in August 2010 that had the Chrysler Towing Prep Package on it. When I bought the vehicle, part of the deal was to put the hitch on the car. It must be remembered that I purchased the vehicle from a very small town dealer (Indian Head, Saskatchewan). After I purchased the vehicle they ordered an OEM hitch for me (which at the time was fairly rare). When it came in I took it to have it installed, it took the dealership about 2-3 hours to install it, they did not have to cut the bumper although they did remove it to get at the wiring harness. I have towed my boat on several occasions with no problems. I did read with interest the person who posted about the vertical hitch and bike racks wobbling a bit, I have not tried it, but it does make sense. For the most part, all I really tow now is my kayak trailer. Terry Edited October 27, 2012 by Windancer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caperinmuskoka Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 My dealer is from a very small town ,Sunridge,Ontario..........Still didn't help me.....Caper........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sham Posted May 24, 2012 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 some journeys need to be flasded to activate the tow plug, i dont thing dodge activates it unless asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caperinmuskoka Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 some journeys need to be flasded to activate the tow plug, i dont thing dodge activates it unless asked. When the hitch is ordered from the dealer,You already have the Trailer Tow Prep Package,and the dealer installs your hitch and wiring harness...........................why would you need to ask them to activate your tow plug?. ..Caper.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GR8BRITT Posted October 25, 2012 Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 I had the 'Tow Prep Package' on my 2012 R/T Rallye with all intentions of towing later. Recently went out and bought a Curt Hitch and fitted it myself along with the supplied harness. The harness fitting instructions were all there, remove the bumber (which you don't have to do), plug in harness, replace bumber (skipped this of course) and try em out with ya trailer. reasonably easy to do. Found the trailer I wanted and went to pick it up from Home Depot.....no bloody lights!!! Well, thanks guys for all the posts on here cuz now I know the Dealer has to reflash my ECU.....dealer has confirmed this! Just hope they are not gonna charge me!!! GB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drb227 Posted October 25, 2012 Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 What's a bumber??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtsr Posted October 25, 2012 Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 What's a bumber??? A Niagara Region "bumper"-after too much grape juice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GR8BRITT Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 Ah...sorry guys, I was all excited about writing stuff on here...lol Getting the ECU flashed today so hopefully i'll be towing legally this weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingit11 Posted November 25, 2012 Report Share Posted November 25, 2012 WOW......I did not realize there were issues with installing hitch and wiring. I ordered a Curt hitch and had the wire harness in the vehicle when I bought it. Installed them myself. Only issue I had was the first time I installed the wire harness I had it backwards (no directions supplied). Left trailer light would flash with right signal and right with left signal. But once I reversed the harness all was good. Did not need to flash the ECU. And I did not need to drop the bumper. I guess sometimes ignorance is bliss. Is this only an issue with 2011 thru 2013? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebus Posted November 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2012 WOW......I did not realize there were issues with installing hitch and wiring. I ordered a Curt hitch and had the wire harness in the vehicle when I bought it. Installed them myself. Only issue I had was the first time I installed the wire harness I had it backwards (no directions supplied). Left trailer light would flash with right signal and right with left signal. But once I reversed the harness all was good. Did not need to flash the ECU. And I did not need to drop the bumper. I guess sometimes ignorance is bliss. Is this only an issue with 2011 thru 2013? @wingit11 - the flash and other issues are specific to the 2011-2013 models with LED tailights. Because the lights are low voltage (5V, I think), there is not enough juice to power the trailer harness directly, so the trailer harness is wired directly through the main power control unit, and needs to be enabled via a VIN update and flash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powdered Toast Man Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 Sorry to dredge up an old topic but I'm going through this exact same thing right now. I had an aftermarket hitch installed on my 2011 RT. I had the Mopar harness from when I bought the Journey so the trailer shop used it. Had to get the PCM flashed by the dealer to activate though. No big deal right? Wrong. The reflash has gone terribly wrong and now my AWD system is all messed up. Its going back to the dealer on Monday after it spent yesterday at a transmission shop. They said the problem is the PCM is sending power to the AWD 100% of the time. Funny how that coincides with the reflash of the PCM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SylvainB Posted August 13, 2018 Report Share Posted August 13, 2018 Damn I used the T connector from CURT ..... so easy to get it working ..... don't have to mess up with reflashing PCM !? WTF 2late4u 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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